Tag: chest register

Below are a few clips of the late Zhang Yu-sheng (1966-1997), a Taiwanese musician who has been my all-time favorite musician, rocker, singer, song-writer, and, above all, my mentor.

He was very talented as a singer-songwriter, but he’s mostly known for his ability to hit ultra high notes, with purity and power at the same time.

It’s a shame that he died young (at the age of 31); while driving on a weary condition, he accidentally hit a traffic island at a high speed. He passed way at the hospital 24 days after. Contrary to what some people think, he did NOT drive under the influence (DUI).

Caveat: All the English translations next to the Chinese titles are mine, i.e. they’re not the official ones (if there’s any).

Hitting high notes (A5)
He is asked to hit some insanely high notes by the hosts. (After hitting the very last note [an A5], he tells the hosts that he used mixed voice to achieve that.)

Xiaobao Lianxiqu (小寶練習曲) (HD)
(This is a recording of his rehearsal at the studio, about 10-minute long. This clip basically gives you an idea of how monstrous his voice was. All of the songs he sings in the clip are his own creations. FYI, Xiaobao [小寶] was his nickname.)
(He starts singing at 2:50.)

Zhang Yu Sheng’s (張雨生) high note compilation (C5 – D#6)

High Notes in Rock: Power, Pt. 2
(Zhang is featured as the last vocalist in this compiliation, indicating that he’s the most impressive vocalist among all the great singers listed in the clip.)

Blow are some of my favorite songs written by Zhang (both lyrics and melodies)
Meigui De Mingzi (玫瑰的名字/The Name of the Rose) (HD)
(This is one of those rare occasions where he uses distortion and heavier sound.)

Live version of Wo Qidai (我期待/I Look Forward To…)
(This live performance truly showcases his mastery of his vocals. The ending is simply incredible and jaw-dropping.)

Xiongdi Ya (兄弟呀/Oh My Brother) (HD)
(This is the song where Zhang famously hits a D#6 [4:08-4:30]. It’s a shame that there’s no live recording of this song.)

Houzhihoujue (後知後覺/When I realize it, it’s too late) (HD)

He (河/The River) (HD)
(What he does during 4:03-4:20 is simply monstrous…)

Younggongjie De Jiezhang (永公街的街長/The Chief of the Younggong Street)
(Though this piece is almost 10-minute long, I am sure you’ll enjoy it all the way. Please note that the section after 8:14 isn’t sung by Zhang himself, but by a Taiwanese female singer called “馬毓芬.” He dedicated the song to the homeless and the mentally challenged, whose suffering he thinks the society is responsible for.)

Heaven On Fire – Metal Kids (HD)
(With this song, Zhang and his bandmates won the first place in the first Rock&Roll band competition held by Yamaha in Taiwan. Metal Kids was the name of his band. It is said that this studio version is a compromised version due to the demand of the label company; the original version was much heavier than this one, but it is unfortunately no where to be found.)

Koushixinfei (口是心非/False Words) full album
(This is arguably his best album, also his last album, with every single song written by himself.)

TV appearances

Live version of Wo Qidai (我期待/I Look Forward To…)
(This live performance truly showcases his mastery of his vocals. The ending is simply incredible and jaw-dropping.)

Speaking of jaw-dropping, his singing did make a grandma drop her jaw. This is one of my favorite clips.
(Starts at 1:02)